Sharp Details IGZO Display Technology at CES

At the 2013 International CES, Sharp showcased for the first time in the U.S. its latest display technology: IGZO (which is an acronym for Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide), a compound that replaces the amorphous silicon typically used in thin-film transistors’ active layer. The company said it will be the first to mass-produce IGZO displays, and it has partnered with Corning, which has developed a special glass based on its Lotus glass technology that can withstand high-temperature processing.

IGZO yields higher resolution, and offers extremely low power consumption and a more precise touch response, said Sharp. The company is planning to sell through its network of pro A/V dealers its new two-model 32-inch-class professional LCD monitor series, which features IGZO technology and offers 3840×2160-pixel resolution, this year. One model features a 10-point multi-touch capacitive screen; that will be available following the February availability of a non-touch model.

In Ultra HD, Sharp is planning to offer its next-generation 4K display technology in 60-, 70- and 85-inch sizes in two lines to be introduced this year.

These large-screen TV announcements were made against the backdrop of growing market acceptance for 60-inch-and-larger TVs. John Herrington, president of Sharp Electronics Marketing Co. of America, said that screen-size category had grown in two years from accounting for four percent of LCD TV industry revenue to account for 20 percent of LCD TV revenue. He offered a projection that overall, 40-plus percent sales growth would occur in the 60-inch-and-above TV category in 2013.

Herrington noted that Sharp had introduced models in the 60-, 70-, 80- and 90-inch screen sizes over the last 18 months, with Sharp’s large-screen market share having doubled in that category over that time period. For 2013, 21 Sharp models in that large-screen segment in three separate series will bow.